Silver Lake reopened to the public as oil spill cleanup continues

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HIGHLAND, IL (KTVI) - Silver Lake in Highland, Illinois is open as of Wednesday morning after a two-week hiatus.

Silver Lake closed on July 10 due to an oil spill just northeast of town that impacted the lake. The local fire department deployed a containment boom into the lake after some 4,200 gallons of oil spilled. Crews have been working with environmental cleanup contractors and the EPA to cleanup the lake and get it reopened. Today residents took to the water again to enjoy fishing and boating.

While no issues with water levels have been reported so far this season thanks to the lake's dam system, recent heavy rains have made the clean up difficult.

Officials remind the public to stay away from any remaining containment booms left in the lake and avoid the creek area while the cleanup concludes.